By Steve Newton The big Tragically Hip show in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, is happening tomorrow, broadcast live on the CBC starting at 5:30 pm Vancouver time. I might not be back from opening day at the PNE in time to watch the gig unfold live, but I sure as shit plan to record … Continue reading 15 of the best quotes I ever got from Gord Downie
That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip’s Saturday Night Live gig
By Steve Newton On March 25, 1995, the Tragically Hip played Saturday Night Live, when one of my fave actors, John Goodman ("Mark it zero!"), was hosting. Fellow Kingstonite Dan Aykroyd introduced the band, which surprised the hell out of peeps by not opening with a certified crowd-pleasing rocker like "New Orleans is Sinking" or … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip’s Saturday Night Live gig
That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson at their Vancouver hotel room in 1983 it was less than two months since the release of AC/DC's eighth internationally released studio album, Flick of the Switch. One of the more intriguing tracks on the LP, the third one to feature Johnson on vocals, was "Bedlam … Continue reading That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”
That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip touring with Page & Plant and opening for the Rolling Stones
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Gord Downie in July of 1995 the Tragically Hip was flying high. Since I'd talked to him six months earlier, the band had won group of the year at the Junos, performed on Saturday Night Live, toured widely with Page & Plant, and opened for the Rolling Stones. Not … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip touring with Page & Plant and opening for the Rolling Stones
That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath
By Steve Newton Since time immemorial--or at least since Dio replaced Ozzy in Sabbath back in '79--armchair rock critics have debated the merits of the two singers. It's hard to complain about anything Ozzy did with the band up until the awesome Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath album of 1973; then again, after three spotty LPs, Dio … Continue reading That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath
That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton
By Steve Newton I love listening to these old soundbites of me hangin' out with AC/DC's Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson at a Vancouver hotel room, sippin' tea and chattin' it up. The vast majority of interviews I've done since getting into the music-writing game back in '82 with Vancouver's Georgia Straight newspaper have been done … Continue reading That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton
That time Gord Downie told me about the “unique” life on the road with the Tragically Hip
By Steve Newton On July 2, 1995, I did my fourth Georgia Straight interview with the Tragically Hip's Gord Downie. It had only been six months since our previous chat, and it was unusual--even back then, when newspapers were thriving--to publish two feature stories on the same band within such a short span of time. But … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about the “unique” life on the road with the Tragically Hip
That time I asked Tony Iommi about Ronnie James Dio replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath
By Steve Newton In the past I've had fun posting audio excerpts from my first interview with legendary Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, which took place in 1984, during the group's misguided Born Again phase. Fast-forward 23 years and I got Iommi on the phone again, this time to talk about the Heaven and Hell … Continue reading That time I asked Tony Iommi about Ronnie James Dio replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath
That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that he just “tinkles” on lead guitar: “You can’t outdo Angus”
By Steve Newton When I interviewed AC/DC's Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson back in 1983 I asked Malcolm if he ever had a hankering to step out and play a lead-guitar solo once in a while. As expected, his response was along the lines of, "Why bother when you've got a guy like Angus around?" … Continue reading That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that he just “tinkles” on lead guitar: “You can’t outdo Angus”
That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip was just striving to exist in the United States
By Steve Newton When people discuss the history of the Tragically Hip, one subject that arises is how the band was unable to make it big in the States, and to garner anything resembling the same degree of commercial success that they enjoyed up in Canada. When I did my third interview with Gord Downie, … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip was just striving to exist in the United States
Previously unheard Hendrix set proves the awesome power of Band of Gypsys
By Steve Newton Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings announced today that never-before-heard recordings of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys performing live at the Fillmore East will be released on September 30. The new album, titled Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69, features the two sets Band of Gypsys played at New York's … Continue reading Previously unheard Hendrix set proves the awesome power of Band of Gypsys
That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds
By Steve Newton One thing I figured out about Gord Downie during the five interviews I did with him between 1989 and 1995 was that he really, really likes musicians. Especially musicians who play in bands. He was always quick to rave about the new groups he'd heard lately, or maybe the ones the Tragically … Continue reading That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds
Spider dreams and the new American Horror Story Season 6 poster
By Steve Newton I've got an intense fear of spiders. Not small ones--or even bigger ones as long as they're of the "daddylonglegs" variety. No, it's the dark, hairy, menacing ones, the ones we used to call "wolf spiders", that would hang out in our Chilliwack basement when I was a kid. "They're a lot … Continue reading Spider dreams and the new American Horror Story Season 6 poster